Doctor Light Quill was a light brown Griffin, an unusual sight to be sure but not uncommon in Solaris. And for once he was having a slow morning (if 4:00 am was morning) most likely due to the blizzard last night but he wasn’t complaining. Not a single one of the 20 beds in his office were being used, not a single patient this morning.
He loved winter for that reason, battles were uncommon due to snow getting in the way of troop movement and if they did somehow occur they were usually smaller battles. But what he liked the most was the fact that he wasn’t in a tent. For all of Priestess Twilight’s tactical genius sometimes his medical tent got put in weird places. But Quill would never say anything.
No patients meant free time to do things like take inventory of his supplies . Which he was in the process of doing when he got interrupted by a bright flash of purple light with an accompanying loud pop signifying somepony had just teleported into his office. He knew the anti teleport wards were still up, so it wasn’t some enemy unicorn popping in. That meant somepony with access had teleported into his office.
The griffin turned his head to look at where the pony who teleported into his office was. What he found was not one pony but three and one of them is the Priestess Twilight. With the Priestess was her personal guard Applejack and a pegasus mare. The pegasus was in terrible condition, she was covered in blood and had a burn mark running down her left side from just a quick glance alone, who knows what other injuries she could be hiding.
The griffin doctor moved from the cabinets at the back of the room to the group of ponies. As he approached Priestess Twilight spoke to Quill. “I need an isolated medical room doctor.” Quill answered quickly pointing a claw towards the back of the room, at a door. “The most isolated room I have is the surgery room Priestess.” The alicorn nodded. Then carefully picked up both mares in her telekinesis and moved into the operating room. Opening the door as she went.
The room had one table in the middle that was covered by a white sheet. There was a bright white shining gem directly above the table. It lit the room up with a harsh white light. The rest of the room had counters running along the walls with various medical tools on them that no pony in the room could tell what they did.
Twilight carefully put Rainbow on the table belly down, then placed Applejack down nearby as the guard was still giving the pegasus blood. Applejack looked none too happy about being picked up in magic and was now standing next to the table. Applejack looked like she wanted to say something but instead simply pointed with a hoof to her hat which had fallen off. Twilight rolled her eyes, picked up the hat and put it back on her head as the doctor followed them into the operating room.
Dr. Quill didn’t dare question the Priestess as to who the pegasus was as he already could tell it was the Rainbow demon. She had a rainbow mane and a cyan coat. He didn’t know of another pony with the same base description. But why the heavens was she here in his office and why did the Priestess herself bring her in to get treated?
The griffin chose not to ask those Questions. As he liked his head where it was and to increase his chances of keeping it there he got right to work. “So what injuries does she have? Priestess.” He asked as he went to the counters and grabbed basic tools.
“Under the bandage is an arrow wound about an inch deep.” Twilight without knowing it had put her gently hoof on Rainbow’s head. “She has a line of burns running down her left side.”
Applejack watched as the alicorn continued to tell the griffin about the pegasus’s injuries. Then she started smiling as the orange mare saw Twilight’s hoof start to pet Rainbow’s mane without the lavender mare noticing what her hoof was doing. Then Applejack had to force down laughter as she watched Rainbow, who was still barely awake, start to smile weakly at her head being petted.
Applejack had to push her hat down to hide her face slightly as she couldn’t suppress her smile. Her friend had unknowingly developed a small crush on the rainbow maned pegasus, the first clue was how Twilight babbled about the Rainbow demon right after the battle of Saint Silverhoof and had said quote ‘Rainbow is the sexiest mare I have ever seen’. Which AJ would never let go of.
Then there was the fact Twilight actually cared about her, like actually cared about Rainbow’s well being. Cared enough about her to risk her plans of rebellion. AJ knew for a fact if it hadn’t been Rainbow or herself lying on that cave floor Twilight would have let them die. As saving that pony would risk her plans.
AJ had a theory, for most of the time the guard pony had known Twilight. She had been uncaring to everypony she met except for a select few, one of those few being her. But after Twilight broke the spell Celestia put on her, she had made two friends in a few months, those being Sunset and Rainbow. More than she had made in most of the years Applejack had been her personal guard.
Celestia’s spell must’ve not only made her not question those the spell perceived as authority. Most likely scripture and Celestia herself in AJ’s mind. But also made it hard to make empathetic connections or form relationships. But Applejack had no idea why Celestia would do that though.
After Twilight had finished telling Dr. Quill about Rainbow’s injuries (and unknowingly petting Rainbow) he got to work. Rainbow had passed out by now so ee started by stitching the arrow wound closed. Then he closely inspected how the armor bonded with her skin, the griffin found that it bonded loosely with the pegasus’s skin. Which meant he would have to dig out each piece, so surgery was going to be needed . “Priestess I’m going to need Applejack to stay with me most of the day cause Rainbow may need more blood later. That being said” the griffin walked over to Applejack and disconnected her from Rainbow. “Rainbow can only handle so much new blood at once.” Applejack nodded and moved to sit down away from the table.
Twilight looked at the pegasus broken wing. “What about the broken wing doctor?” Doctor Quill sighed and walked over to the right side of Rainbow. “Priestess I’m sorry but her wing may not heal properly, whatever hit her wing smashed the bone in to too many pieces. I don’t dare attempt surgery, my claws are not nearly precise enough nor would magic work as the most you’d get is bone cancer.”
Twilight sighed she’d have to think of something to fix Rainbow’s wing. Maybe the Dragon had something or knew how to fix the broken wing? That was most likely her best bet as she couldn’t go running around Solaris with a national enemy asking for help healing her. The orange dragon and pink mare weren’t enemies and had clearly better technology. Twilight remembered that they had wanted to meet at the Observatory in three days, so she knew where to find them
Maybe that's when she and her friends should disappear. There wasn’t much left to do, her new armor would be done tonight at latest. But Twilight knew she couldn’t make a decision without talking to Pinkie and Clockwork first to see what they get out of this deal.
All that didn’t include what happened to Rainbow as the alicorn had no idea how the pegasus ended up in this state. Maybe her cover was blown. Heavens knows what ramifications that could have if that’s what happened. Twilight sighed internally she’d have to ask Rainbow what happened to her when she woke up.
“Doctor Quill, how long till she can walk on that hoof.” Twilight asked, she needed to know if she could bring Rainbow to meet with Pinkie and Clockwork, if it came to that.
“Luckily the hoof is not broken, she has a minor fracture. If it’s an emergency and she needs to walk on it she must do so gently and slowly.” The griffin paused, then continued. Now I am going to put a cast over both her hoof and wing.” With that the griffin was about to get to work when Twilight spoke again. “Now Quill, not a single pony is to know about her existence except me and my guard. Understood?” Twilight’s voice held a threatening tone that made the griffin gulp. ”I understand Priestess.” Quill once again liked his head where it was and the priestess could kill him easily with her magic alone. He’s seen the Priestess in action.
Twilight walked over to her guard and sat next to her and waited as the griffin doctor started to get to work. “So what's the plan sugarcube?” Asked Applejack in a low whisper. Twilight silently signaled that she’d answer later.
The hours passed by as Light Quill worked on mending the pegasus till about 1:00pm when a voice entered the infirmary outside the operating room. “Dr Quill! Have you seen Priestess Twilight? I need to find her.” The griffin looked back at the alicorn who was getting up.
Twilight was surprised to hear Sunset’s voice enter the room nearby. Opened the door and walked out to see what the amber mare needed. “Sunset what are you doing away from your post?” Twilight answered annoyed for some reason she couldn’t place. “I’m running a message from the courier.” Sunset answered in a annoyed tone as well, that if any pony else had used, Twilight would have disciplined them moderately. “And what would that message be?”
“Priestess you're needed at Cold Stone Fortress to command the garrison as commander Clear Sky is dead and Starlight Glimmer’s forces are moving in. The order’s from Goddess Celestia herself.”